Category Archives: War

By Robert J. Avrech | June 13, 2012

YAMAS – Israel’s Special Counter Terrorist Unit

Tweet Yamas (Hebrew: יחידת המסתערבים‎, Yehidat HaMista’arvim) is an undercover special operations unit attached to the Israeli Border Police (Magav). YAMAS is one of the most elite counter-terror units in the world. The primary work of Yamas is intelligence gathering and surveillance in order to target and eliminate mortal threats. The host of the show, [...]

Also posted in Counterterrorism, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Weapons | Tagged , , , | 6 Responses
By Robert J. Avrech | May 29, 2012

Of Flame and Flames

Tweet By now you’ve probably heard about Flame, a sophisticated cyber attack aimed at Iran and other Islamist nets. Israel is playing coy, hinting that this super bug, like Stuxnet, just might be an Israeli operation. Seraphic Secret has no doubt that Flame is an Israeli cyber weapon developed by Unit 8200 and we welcome [...]

Also posted in Internet, Iran, Israel, Unit 8200, Weapons | Tagged , , | 5 Responses
By Robert J. Avrech | April 12, 2012

Notable War Movies, Russian and Finnish

Tweet Seraphic Secret watches movies in thematic clusters. Last year I concentrated on the work of specific actors, among them: Clara Bow, John Gilbert, Mary Nolan, Lon Chaney, Esther Ralston and, adolescent sigh, Brigitte Bardot. For the past few  weeks I’ve been screening war movies, with an emphasis on films from Russia and Finland. World [...]

Also posted in Movies, War Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Responses
By Robert J. Avrech | February 9, 2012

Three More Notable War Movies

Tweet As we noted last week stories about war are, perhaps, the best, most natural material for the movies. Because war is a constant in human history and because war brings out the best and worst in man, every country that has a movie industry will, sooner or later, produce a body of war movies [...]

Also posted in Movies, War Movies | Tagged , , , , | 5 Responses
By Robert J. Avrech | February 2, 2012

Three Notable War Movies

Tweet There is no subject as well suited for the movies as war. In war there is conflict, love, and of course lots of explosions. Movies, someone once said, are just like life—with the boring parts cut out. Thus, movies about war delete the incredible boredom of most war-time experiences in favor of the hyper-drama [...]

Also posted in Military, Movies, War Movies | Tagged , , , , | 48 Responses
By Robert J. Avrech | January 3, 2012

Rise of the Killer Drone

Tweet Ask the man in the street who invented the pilotless drone and I’m pretty sure the answer will be U.S. engineers in the employ of the military. But of course, the drone was conceived and invented by men of vision, dreamers, entrepreneurs. Let’s face it, democratic governments are not—and should not be—investing in chosen [...]

Also posted in Counterterrorism, Weapons | Tagged , , | 15 Responses
By Robert J. Avrech | December 7, 2011

Veronica Lake Goes to War

Tweet Besides entertainment, movies are precious time capsules. They allow us a glimpse into the past where we can view fashions and attitudes that seem distant yet achingly familiar. When Veronica Lake (b. Constance Frances Marie Ockelman) and her peek-a-boo hair burst on the scene in I Wanted Wings, 1941—her distinctive look stole the movie—the public frenzy [...]

Also posted in Hollywood, Movies, Veronica Lake, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Responses
By Robert J. Avrech | October 26, 2011

First Memorial for Jewish Chaplains

Tweet Veteran readers of Seraphic Secret probably know that my father, Rabbi Abraham Avrech, Col. Ret., proudly served as an Army Chaplain for his entire career. A member of the fabled 42nd Division AKA The Rainbow Division, my father served in World War II, the Korean War, and finally Vietnam. As a child, my father [...]

Also posted in Family, Military | Tagged , | 21 Responses
By Robert J. Avrech | October 20, 2010

War is Insanely Exciting

Tweet During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Amos, a close friend, a tank commander in the IDF, saw combat on the Golan. He fought ferociously for several days without sleep—hello dexedrine!—and only relinquished command when he could no longer see straight. Witnesses said that Amos was a hero, leading his small force against overwhelming numbers [...]

Posted in War | 21 Responses